Someone To Turn To
by Anna Jamisen
Summary: Tony and Michelle begin a relationship, but can it last? Post Season 2. Last chapter up! Please review! COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

Tony walked over to his desk and sat in his seat. But even the cool comfort of his chair could not console his grief. He looked out the broken windows down to the floor, where the next shift was being brought up to speed. He glanced over at Michelle's workstation where she was trying to explain the Internet protocol to her replacement for the day. Tony picked up his phone and dialed the four digit code to Michelle's station.

Michelle heard the tone coming from the phone. She gave a sigh of exhaustion and slowly picked up the receiver. "Dessler." she answered softly.

"Hey, can I see you up here for a minute?" Tony asked.

"Sure." Michelle replied. She placed the phone down and headed for Tony's office.

Tony put his phone back on the hook and watched Michelle walk towards the stairs leading to his office. He loved the way her hips swayed from side to side as she glided almost effortlessly towards the stairs. The look of pain and fatigue was evident on her face, but she was still beautiful. She brushed a loose strad of hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear.

When she reached the door, she started to knock, but Tony motioned for her to come in.

"Hey." he began.

"Hey." Michelle turned around and closed the door.

"You Okay?" Tony asked as he stood and limped over to her.

"I'm Okay. You?"

"I'm Okay."

"The next shift's been brought up to speed," Michelle explained. "I was thinking I'd get my brother and go home."

"Yeah," Tony replied, scratching the side of his cheek.

"Was there anything else?" Michelle questioned.

"Umm, yeah. Yeah, there was."

"What was it?"

Tony paused and looked up at her. "Thank you."

"For what?" asked Michelle, crossing her arms and leaning against the door.

"You made some really tough decisions today and stood up to me. And you were right. I'm sorry if I've been harsh. I was following protocol, not listening to my instincts." Tony explained apologetically.

"Tony," Michelle began. "You don't have to explain. You were only doing what you thought was right. Mason's shoes have been hard for you to fill, especially under today's circumstances." She reached out and grabbed Tony's hand. "Whatever happened today is in the past now. We can't change the decisions we made, or the things we did." She paused. "The emotions we felt." Tony smiled. "All we need to do is keep living our lives. Before Mason died, he told me to find something that made me happy and to do it." Michelle squeezed his hand. At this he pulled her close to him, wrapping his arms around her tiny frame, resting his hand on the small of her back. She threw her arms around his neck and rested her head on his chest. Neither one of them had to say anything more- they knew exactly how the other felt.

They stood there for five or six minutes before Michelle broke the silence. "What are you thinking?" she whispered into Tony's ear.

"I was thinking that after everything that's happened in the last 24 hours, I don't want to be home alone."

"I don't either." she agreed.

Tony pulled away from her enough so that he could see her face.

"What do you want to do?" she asked.

"I've got to finish up here, but why don't you take your brother home, clean up and change, and I'll pick you up in about an hour. We can grab something to eat and head back to my place." he suggested.

"Sounds good." she replied.

"Chinese or pizza?" he asked. Michelle was pleased that he wanted her opinion.

"Chinese," she responded. "I love the paper boxes." Michelle giggled like a little kid. Tony brushed the stray piece of hair back and re-tucked it behind her ear. He cradled her face in his hand. She closed her eyes, trying to cherish the moment.

"I'll see you in an hour?" Michelle verified. Tony nodded and kissed her on the forehead. She smiled one more time, and left the room. On the way down the stairs, she glanced up once more at Tony, and continued down to the floor. Tony laughed to himself and went to his desk to answer the ringing phone.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Michelle opened the door to her apartment and threw her keys and purse on the table. She took her jacket and shoes off and headed for the bathroom. She began taking off her clothes and turned the water to the shower on.

Tony was all Michelle wanted and so much more. She began contemplating this morning, how Tony had come to comfort her after her brother attacked Carrie. How he stroked her face while he kissed her. How she felt so safe in his arms. She knew that she was falling in love with this man, and that it would change everything.

She stepped out of the shower and blow-dried her hair. She shuffled through her closet, picking out her favorite t-shirt and lounge pants. Then she went into the living room to wait for Tony.

Tony headed back to his apartment about fifteen minutes after Michelle left. He was happy to get the chance to spend time with her. Sitting in his car, he began thinking about something that Michelle had said earlier that day about Nina. 'So you think I just want you for your information?' He started having flashbacks of Nina, meeting her for the first time, their first kiss, her scream, the look in her eyes as she was being led away. How she betrayed him. He knew Michelle wasn't anything like Nina, but he couldn't help but thinking about her.

When he got home, he called in the Chinese order and hopped in the shower. About five minutes later, he quickly shaved his 5 o'clock shadow and went to go get Michelle.

KNOCK. KNOCK.

It was Tony. Michelle quickly stood up and smoothed out her shirt. She walked to the door and opened it.

"Hey," she greeted.

"Hey."

He pulled her close to him and held her. She felt so safe with him and melted into his embrace.

"All set?" he inquired, pulling away from her slightly.

"All set." She agreed. Michelle completely pulled away to grab her purse and keys off of the table, and locked the door behind her.

"Let's go." Tony grabbed her hand and they headed out to his car.


	3. Chapter 3

"Favorite childhood memory." Michelle mumbled between bites of Lo Mien. They sat in the living room of Tony's apartment, on the floor, eating their Chinese and playing twenty questions. Michelle sat Indian style up against the wall. Tony sat with his back to the sofa, legs stretched out in front of him. They both had paper boxes of food and forks in their hands, just eating and spending time together.

Tony finished his mouthful of chicken teriyaki and answered, "Probably Christmastime when I was nine. It was the last one I had with my dad." Tony took another bite and asked, "Favorite school subject." It was Michelle's turn now.

"Algebra. I love solving problems and balancing equations. It's easy to just get lost in the work and leave the world behind. There's no subjectivity, just rules and orders and properties. Sometimes it's better than dealing with your life." Michelle sat silently, chewing on her food and contemplating her next category.

"The most," she paused. "The best person in your life." Tony smiled and let out a small sigh. Then he looked up at Michelle.

"She's sitting right here in front of me." Tony reached out and touched Michelle's cheek. She smiled, not wanting him to take his hand away. She wanted him to hold her in his arms. She closed her eyes, and Tony pulled her close to him like she wanted. She wrapped her arms around his torso. "Come on," Tony whispered, "Let's get some sleep." They stood up and walked down the hall to Tony's bedroom. Michelle sat on the end of the bed and looked up at Tony. He walked over to her and pushed the loose piece of hair out of her face. He knelt on the floor, not taking his eyes off her face, staring up at how beautiful she was, her long curly reddish-brown hair, her dark soulful eyes. He could get lost so easily in her eyes.

'Man, I wish I could make love to her,' he thought. She was always so untrusting, always feeling unsafe. Always splitting her attention. Whether it was between her work and her brother, or a nuclear bomb and Mason's condition. He had even noticed it during dinner. 'Sometimes it's better than dealing with your life.' He wondered what had happened to her during her childhood that made things so difficult for her now. He wished he could save her from her pain, wished he could show her what it felt like to be loved, that he could make her feel like she belonged.

He reached out and took her hands in his, kissing the top of it gently. Michelle smiled meekly. The exhaustion had finally caught up with her, and Tony could tell. He decided that she couldn't be very comfortable in those stiff pants and t-shirt. "I'll get you some clothes" he suggested, getting up and walking over to his dresser. He opened up the drawer, pulling out some clean sweatpants and a t-shirt.

"Tony," Michelle whispered, almost so softly that he could barely hear her. He turned around quickly and looked at her tear-stained face. She was crying. He closed the drawer and walked over, kneeling in front of her, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Michelle," Tony began, worry in his eyes. Maybe he had done something wrong. "Baby, what is it?" Michelle reached her hand up to his face, and was at a loss for words. "It's okay, you can tell me." Tony's concern grew with every passing second.

"Tony..." Michelle said, even more softly this time. "I...I d..do..." her voice kept breaking. He wiped away another tear and held her face in his hand. He leaned in towards her and kissed her softly, his hand caressing her face. She was taken aback, but reluctantly kissed him. He wrapped his arms around her waist, cherishing the embrace, deepening the kiss. Michelle let Tony take control, his hands wandering up and down her back. She loved this feeling, and never wanted it to end. He pulled on her bottom lip, opening her mouth to him. He slipped his tongue into her mouth, exploring all edges of it. She felt the passion rising, and the second his tongue touched hers she put both of her hands on the back of his head, pulling him closer to her. She wanted all of him. She wanted to feel this man love her, cherish her. He made her feel so special.

Tony was the one that finally broke the kiss, placing his forehead on hers, looking into her eyes. "I..." Michelle began.

"Shhhh..." Tony quieted her, putting his fingers to her wet lips. "We can talk when we wake up. Come on, let's get some sleep." Tony climbed into bed and laid on his back. Michelle climbed in after him, lying on her stomach on top of Tony.

That day, they fell asleep in each other's arms.


	4. Chapter 4

Tony woke up first, startled to find a woman lying in his bed with him. Then he remembered the night before, the dinner they had shared, and how she had fallen asleep in his arms. He glanced at his watch.

10:27 P.M.

They had slept through the whole day.

Tony got up slowly, making sure not to disturb Michelle. He quietly went over to his dresser and pulled out some sweatpants and a t-shirt. He peeled his jeans and shirt off, leaving him standing at the foot of his bed in his boxers. He pulled his sweatpants on and reached for his shirt.

"What are you doing?" Michelle asked softly. 'She must have just woken up.' He thought.

"Just changing." He replied.

"Mmmm…" she moaned. "Come back to bed." Tony forgot about his t-shirt and crawled back into bed with Michelle. She wrapped her arms around his bare torso, his back to her. She put her face into his shoulder, kissing his neck. He put his arms over hers. "I could stay like this forever." She whispered into his ear.

"So could I." Tony agreed. He flipped over to face her. "You never did change out of those clothes." He commented, running his hands down her curvy frame. Michelle shut her eyes, sensitive to his touch. She pulled Tony towards her, pressing his bare skin against her body. He finally rested his hand on her lower back, and with the other stroked her muzzled hair.

Michelle began crying again, a soft, silent sob. She tried to hide it from Tony, but he felt her hot tears on his shoulder. He pulled away and looked into her sad brown eyes.

"Michelle," Tony whispered, "Baby what is it?" Michelle tried to pull herself together, but just began crying harder. "It's okay, Chelle," he consoled, brushing the tears away from her face. "I'm here." She let out a small giggle, but it couldn't console her pain.

"Tony, I…" She sniffed. "I feel so safe with you… but," she put her hand tenderly on his face. "I'm still so scared!" She couldn't hold it back anymore, and she wept. Tony held her close, comforting her, telling her it was okay. She buried her face in his chest, trying to silence her sobs.

Tony felt so helpless, holding this woman, weeping in his arms, hearing her sobs of pain and anguish. He thought of her smile, her giggle. That was the Michelle he knew. He closed his eyes, whispering words of comfort. Michelle took a deep breath, trying to calm down. She finally looked back at Tony.

He had been crying too, silent tears flowing from his eyes. "Why are you crying?" Michelle inquired, wiping her own tears away.

"I don't want you to feel afraid around me, and when you hurt, I do too." He explained. "I wish I could take all of your pain away, and I can't." he continued.

Michelle stared into his eyes, her own filling with tears again, but happy ones. "I wish I could, but I can't." he repeated. Michelle stroked his face.

"Tony," she began. "I don't want you to try and take my pain away." He gazed at her lovingly. "You have been so wonderful to me. I can't thank you enough for that." She took his hand in hers. "But no matter what, you can't take this away." He shut his eyes. "And I don't need you to." She whispered.

He smiled, and slowly rested his head next to hers, lying on top of her. Michelle turned her head and softly spoke into his ear, "Tony, do something for me,"

"Anything," he replied.

"Show me what it feels like to be loved." Tony lifted his head, looking at her face, confusion in his eyes. It was like she knew what he had been thinking. "Please, Tony. I've never had anyone…" she paused, tears once again forming in her eyes. "No one has ever loved me before. I've stayed away from people for so long…" Her hand wandered to her abdomen. "Because I was afraid I'd get hurt again." She explained, her voice breaking. Tony took her hand. She sighed.

"You don't need to be afraid," he consoled. "I'll never hurt you." He promised. Michelle took a deep breath. Tony laid down on his back next to her. They intertwined hands and he asked, "What happened?" She glanced over at Tony, and then returned her focus to the moonlit ceiling.

"When I was a kid, we were happy. My mother was a teacher, my father owned a bookstore. My brother was two years older than me." She closed her eyes.

"When I was seven, my dad was away a lot- drinking. He'd come home late, and if we were…" she sobbed. "If we were still awake, he'd beat us, saying we should have been in bed. That was how he justified it." Tony looked over at Michelle with his big brown eyes, while she tried to compose herself. He stayed silent until she spoke again. "My mom kept trying to stop him, but he'd come after her. One afternoon after school when I was about nine, I came home and went upstairs to find my mother. I walked into her bedroom, and…"

Michelle breathed deeply. Tony rolled onto his side – looking down at Michelle. "She was dead!" she cried. "The police said it was suicide. But her killed her." Her voice became sterner. "I know he did." Tony hugged her tight, not knowing what to say. She clung to him for a minute, before continuing with her heartbreaking story.

"When I was fourteen, my brother moved out. He said he couldn't take it anymore. He left me there, he abandoned me. That's when it got worse. He started…" Michelle shuddered. "He started raping me."

"Oh, Michelle," Tony grieved, looking into her fearful dark eyes. "I'm so sorry."

"I called the police, but they said there wasn't enough evidence to indite him, so they left me with him. He also had a friend inside the system." She wiped away her tears.

"When I was sixteen, I couldn't handle it anymore. I packed up my things, and walked out the front door. He followed me." Tony caressed her face, trying to take this pain away, trying to absorb it from her to himself, but he couldn't. "He attacked me." Her hand broke away from Tony's grip, and wandered to her stomach. "He stabbed me thirteen times with a pocket knife and left me to die.

Tony laid there speechless for a moment. He had no idea the agony she had been through, and now that he did, he wasn't sure what to do. "Michelle, I promise you, for as long as I live, you will never, ever, feel that kind of pain again." He re-captured her hand, and she smiled.

"I've numbed myself to the pain. I'm okay. I just need to feel someone love me. I've been deprived of it all of my life." Michelle closed her eyes. "I've never… I've never told anyone about this." Tony brushed her cheek with his fingers.

"Hey," he whispered. "I have my secrets, too." Michelle nodded. Her eyes pleaded with him. "Okay." He mouthed silently. "Okay."

He pulled her body close and held her tighter than he ever had before. He kissed the top of her head, and gently lay on his back, taking her with him. Tony looked into her eyes, and kissed her passionately. She moaned as they kissed, which made Tony kiss her harder, her hands running along his naked back, his hands under the back of her shirt, rubbing her skin softly. Michelle quickly opened her mouth to Tony's invading tongue. She let it explore all of her mouth, tangling hers with his, increasing the passion of the moment. Tony laid her on her back, rolling on top of her, never breaking the kiss. He pushed his pelvis up against Michelle's, letting her know exactly what she was doing to him. She groaned louder. He pinned her arms over her head, signaling for her to let him take over. His hands slid down her side, her back arched to his touch. He continued kissing her, their bodies up next to one another's, Michelle moaning as she felt him pressed up against her, neither of them willing to stop.

Tony finally broke the kiss. "Ohh…" Michelle gasped, breathing heavily. Without thinking, Tony whispered, "Chelle, I love you."

"I love you too."


	5. Chapter 5

When Tony woke up, Michelle wasn't in bed with him. He got out of bed and grabbed the t-shirt that he had forgotten the night before. He wandered groggily down the hallway, wondering where Michelle had gone. He heard a pot drop to the floor in the kitchen.

"Shit!" a woman yelled.

'Yup, that's her.' Tony thought. He laughed to himself as he turned the corner. Michelle looked up as he came through the door. Tony raised his eyebrows and Michelle giggled.

"I never have been able to cook." She explained, picking the pot up off the floor. Tony walked over and came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist, resting his hands on her stomach. She laid her head on his shoulder, turning it so she could see his face.

"Good morning." He greeted softly.

"Good morning."

She leaned up and gave him a kiss, before he asked, "What are you doing?" He chuckled, placing his chin on her shoulder.

"Well, I was going to cook breakfast, but I turn everything into a disaster." She laughed, washing the pot out. He spun her around, startling her.

"No you don't." he comforted, leaning in to kiss her again. She happily kissed him back, intertwining her fingers behind his head. It was amazing how great this man made her feel about herself, how safe and secure she felt, standing there in front of the sink, his arms around her. He pulled away, looking down at her outfit, the same clothes she fell asleep in yesterday. "Those clothes," he complained, kissing her forehead and laughing. She looked down at her appearance, and laughed as well.

"I didn't have anything to change into." She explained. Tony pulled away, opening a cupboard. He pulled out a box of cereal and two bowls. "Perfect." She whispered, her eyes still laughing. Tony put the stuff on the counter and walked over to the fridge, while Michelle poured the cereal and grabbed some spoons. Tony poured the milk, and they sat on the counter together, eating happily.

Michelle stared at the floor, deep in thought. Tony looked at her face, concern in his eyes. She was splitting her attention again. "Sweetheart," he whispered. "What is it?" Michelle smiled meekly, looking at her cereal.

"I can't help but think that this is all a dream, and when I wake up you'll be gone." She giggled sadly, looking up at him slowly.

"Hey," he consoled, "I'm not going anywhere." Michelle nodded, and continued eating her breakfast.


	6. Chapter 6

Tony got dressed and drove Michelle home so she could get ready for work. Michelle fished for her keys in her purse, while Tony leaned against the wall and chuckled. "Finally!" she exclaimed, pulling her keys out and opening up the door. She dropped her things and led Tony to the living room. "Make yourself at home; I'll be out in a few minutes." She spun around and headed for the bathroom.

"Take your time," he called out after her, sitting on the couch and sighing. He glanced at his watch.

7:18 A.M.

Michelle glanced at the digital clock on the sink. She peeled off her clothes, and took down her hair. She sighed, examining her injured hand and flinching. It felt better, but it was still sore. She thought of Tony's ankle. He seemed better, but still had a limp. She stepped into the shower, letting the cool water run down her back. She began thinking about the C.T.U. bombing, all of those people that had died.

"I need you to move a little faster," she remembered yelling, glancing up at Mason's office while Tony was trying to get Paula to leave the encryption. 'If only we had found out earlier, even a few minutes.' She had hesitated about even telling Tony, not knowing if this guy was for real. She took it to him, but didn't want to evacuate.

She turned off the water and went into her room, pulling a black blouse and slacks out of her closet. She slowly got dressed, and then it hit her.

Paula.

Michelle sat on the bed and began weeping. It was all her fault, the bombing, the fact that Paula and all of those people were dead. It was because of her.

She remembered running over to Tony, seeing him laying there, thinking he was dead. She could have lost him. It was her fault. She sat there and continued crying.

Tony got up off of the couch and walked down the hall. The bathroom door was still shut, but the water had stopped a while ago. He knocked. "Chelle?" When there was no answer, he limped to her bedroom door, trying to hear if she was in there. He could hear her sobbing, and he slowly opened the door, trying not to startle her.

"Michelle?" Tony asked, walking into her room. Michelle was still on the bed, tears flowing down her cheeks. "Hey," he said, kneeling in front of her like he had the day before. "It's okay." He comforted, pushing her damp hair back and stroking her face.

Michelle looked up at him, pain and guilt in her eyes. "It's all my fault. I killed Paula, I didn't want to evacuate, I killed all those people," Michelle began rambling, breathing heavily. "I could have lost you too." She cried, slowing herself down. Michelle lost it, and broke down in Tony's arms.

"Michelle," he spoke between her sobs. "Baby, you did all you could have. You didn't kill all those people, and don't you ever believe that." He pulled back, caressing her face with his strong hands. "I'm still here," he whispered. "We'll get through this together. I promise. You'll never be alone again." She smiled, composing herself.

"Okay," she agreed. He leaned in and kissed her softly, lovingly. "I love you, Tony."

"I love you too." he responded, standing up. "You ready to go?" he asked.

"Yeah." Michelle stood also, walking out to the living room and grabbing her keys and purse.

"Let's go." He opened the door for her, and they headed to work.


	7. Chapter 7

Tony stood in the parking lot of C.T.U., watching his co-workers light candles and place them on the ledge near the building. He looked down at the candle in his own hand. Written on the slip of paper surrounding the thick white wax, was the name GEORGE MASON. He looked over at Michelle, who was lighting Paula's candle. After everyone had finished, they formed a semi-circle, reverently staring at the candles, many of them weeping. Tony walked across the circle, all eyes on him, and lit George's candle, setting it in the center of the others. He walked back to his place, and began speaking.

"We light these candles in memory of our colleagues who were killed here two days ago, and for George Mason, who made the ultimate sacrifice for the citizens of this country." He paused, sighing. "It was an honor working with these brave and amazing people, and we couldn't be prouder of our friends. They did all that they could do to protect Americans, and now we must strive to do the same. Our thoughts and prayers will always be with them."

Michelle stared at Tony. She knew how difficult this must have been for him, but he had spoken so well. As the people dispersed, heading back to work, Tony stayed behind. Michelle slowly walked back to the door, but turned around before she went in to see Tony. He was silently crying, leaning forward, and resting his hands on the corner of the ledge. Michelle walked back over to him, and placed her hand on his shoulder in an attempt to comfort him. He glanced at her, and returned his focus to George's candle.

"It should have been me," he said to her. "I gave him a hard time about leaving, I sent him to Panorama City. I should have gone. It should have been me." He smiled weakly. "We both have major guilt complexes, don't we?" he asked. Michelle giggled solemnly.

"What a pair we make." She replied softly. Tony nodded, and hung his head. "But," she continued, sitting on the ridge next to the flames. "Someone wise once told me, that I did all I could have, and that we would get through this together." She said. Tony looked up at her again and smiled. He sighed deeply and closed his eyes. "Come on, let's go in." Tony consented, shaking his head and standing up straight.

"Thank you Michelle." he said appreciatively. He grasped her hand discreetly, walking back into the office. He left Michelle at her station, and walked to the second floor.

There were construction workers everywhere, securing gerters and measuring, fixing walls, replacing glass, washing blood off the cracked floors. Tony flinched. It felt like a morgue in there. Everyone was wearing black, trying not to cry. He sat down in his seat. He remembered how it had felt 24 hours ago, sitting in that chair, exhausted with grief. 'We're still grieving,' he thought, picking up the phone.

"Dessler." She answered.

"Hey, have we gotten the Civil Response reports from NSA yet?" he asked, looking to her station. Michelle couldn't help but smile and Tony could tell.

"No, they're faxing them over now." she replied staring straight ahead.

"Okay, can you bring them up when they get here?" he requested.

"Sure." Michelle got ready to hang up when she heard that unmistakable whisper.

"Hey,"

She giggled like a kid again, making Tony chuckle. "What can I do for you Mr. Almedia?"

"Turn around."

"Why?" she inquired curiously.

"I want to see your face before we go back to work." He explained. She turned around slowly, trying to hold back her smile.

"I'll go check on those files."

"Yeah." With that they both hung up, and Michelle stood to get the N.S.A. reports. She knew Tony's eyes were still on her, watching her every move. She wondered how much of the time was spent staring at her ass. She could feel his eyes on her. She flipped her head around quickly, smirking mischievously at him. At this he laughed. She had caught. He re-focused himself on his computer, and waited for the papers.


	8. Chapter 8

As soon as the files were ready, Michelle ordered them and filed copies before bringing them to the C.T.U. director, her boyfriend.

There, that was it. She admitted it. He was her boyfriend. She had never really had one before, and it scared the shit out of her. Tony respected her – she knew that. She also knew that she wasn't the only one who was afraid. Office gossip was popular, especially around here, and word had reached her ears of Tony's affair with Nina. She knew that Nina was only with him for his IP and hacking abilities, plus she had just been dumped by Jack. Michelle made herself a silent promise. She vowed to herself 'I won't keep anything from him. I won't hurt him.' She closed her eyes. 'I won't be Nina.'

"Almedia," Tony answered. It was a wireless protocol call – he was praying that Chappelle wasn't on his way over.

"Tony, it's Hammond."

'Shit,' he thought, 'Worse than Chappelle.'

"What can I do for you, sir?" Tony asked.

"Who is monitoring your systems and communications?" Hammond sternly demanded, not even bothering to make it sound like a question. "No one ran a parody check this morning."

"I was told District would be sending someone over sir, but we just got in. I'll check it out if you'd like." Michelle came to the door, and Tony waved her in.

"You do that," Hammond suggested. "In the meantime, I'm sending someone over from Division to replace Paula, indefinitely."

Tony sighed. "Thank you, sir." Tony said. Michelle could detect a hint of sarcasm in his voice, and she raised her eyebrows as he hung up.

"What was that about?" she asked, files in hand.

"Oh, Hammond's just blowing smoke up his own ass." Tony explained. Michelle chuckled. "What've we got?" he asked, turning his attention to the files.

"Well, civil unrest has settled since the press conference, but there's still a number of riots on the East coast." She informed him.

"What's being done to control this?" he asked, flipping through the reports.

"The National Guard has been dispensed, but they're having a hard time controlling the situation. The President has put the Marines on alert, they're waiting for his orders." She explained thoroughly.

"Okay, umm… call N.S.A. and ask for an update as soon as possible – we don't want more terrorist threats because of racially motivated riots." He requested.

"Okay," she said. "Anything else?"

"Yeah," Tony began, quickly being cut off by the phone. "Excuse me a second. Almedia," He listened intently for a moment. "Why?" he asked, sighing. "Fine, I'll be down as soon as they get here." He hung up. Her eyes were inquiring as to the reason for this call, but he avoided the topic. "Michelle, I just wanted to say, about earlier, thank you. I don't think I would have been able to go back to work if you hadn't come to talk."

"It's okay Tony," Michelle consoled, once again disturbed by the phone. Tony sighed deeply.

"Almedia," he answered, slightly annoyed. There was never a moment of privacy around here.

"Hi Tony, I'm about to run a parody check. Will you let Hammond know?" the voice from the other end explained to him.

"Who's this?" he asked.

"Carrie Turner. Division sent me to replace Paula permanently." She replied, her voice dripping with distain.

"Yeah, I'll let him know." He hung up carelessly, and refocused on Michelle. He didn't tell her who was on the other end of the phone, and she didn't ask.

"It's alright Tony." Michelle continued. "You did the same for me. We need each other right now. It's fine." She smiled at him sweetly.

"I love you." He said, smiling back.

KNOCK. KNOCK.

"Come in," Tony called.

"Sir," the woman began. "Sorry to interrupt. I couldn't reach you on the phone. It must have been off the hook." Tony walked to his desk to find that his phone was in fact off the hook. He hung it up properly and asked the woman what she needed. "Sir, she's here." She replied.

"I'll be right down." He directed his attention at Michelle. "I have to go down for interrogation; can we finish this up later?" He asked his girlfriend, truly sorry that something had once again interrupted the conversation.

"Sure." She agreed. He headed for the door, but turned around when she spoke again. "Tony, who are you interrogating?" She couldn't help but be curious.

"Nina Myers." He replied sternly.

Down on the floor, Carrie put down the phone and tapped her nails lightly on the desk.

"I love you?"

Well, that's it. Lemmie know.


	9. Chapter 9

"Tony. It's nice to see you." Nina greeted cynically. He glared at her. "It's been a while."

"You know why you're here and what I want to know, and until you tell me, your pardon isn't valid." he began. "Tell me what you know, Nina."

"Hmmm, you've become bitter. Last time I saw you, you had nothing but nice things to say to me." She raised an eyebrow. "Has it really been that long since you've gotten off?" Tony let out a short but exasperated breath.

"Stop wasting time. It's running short, along with my patience." he threatened.

"You won't hurt me, Tony. You can't. You're too good natured." she stated with disbelief.

"Believe me Nina, no matter what happened between us, I _will_ do what I need to in order to get this information." he pressured.

"Sounds like you'd be willing to do anything." she taunted. She was trying to manipulate him, and he knew it. He stared at her, being sure to keep all emotion out of his gaze. "You may need to prove that to me."

Tony marched out of holding 2 into the monitoring room. Carrie Turner sat at the desk, a malicious look on her face. "She won't break." he began.

"How do you know?" she asked.

"Because I know her. Look, I'm gonna have to do whatever I can to get this information from her. I need you to make sure of something." he ordered.

"Of what?" she asked.

"Make sure that no one comes in here." he commanded. Carrie immediately knew that he was referring to her old friend.

"What about Michelle?" she asked innocently.

"No one. Get me Hammond on the phone." he demanded. She dialed the number and handed him the wireless, and he walked into the hall to have a moment away from the woman who had all but ruined his girlfriend's life.

"Mr. Hammond, this is Tony Almeida. Nina Myers isn't going to talk. I'm going to need to take all necessary measures to retrieve whatever information she has." he explained.

"Whatever you need to do, Mr. Almeida." the voice replied. Just then, Michelle walked up.

"You got it." he answered, hanging up the phone. "Hey. Got anything new?"

"Not so far. NSA's sending an update in the next ten minutes or so."

"Okay, uh… keep me posted." he responded.

"Tony, what's going on with Nina?" she asked quietly.

"We're questioning her. She's gonna be hard to break." he explained vaguely. "Look, I may need to… let her think she's playing me." he explained, hoping she would understand.

"What do you mean?" Michelle asked.

"I might need to… she'll have to believe that I'm still in love with her. I can catch her off guard. It's the only play I've got she doesn't respond to physical interrogation. If she things she has the upper hand, she might try to extort me. It's all I've got." he told her.

"Who's monitoring?" she asked.

Tony sighed. Michelle still didn't know that Carrie was here. "Carrie." Michelle's eyes grew wide.

"She's here?" she asked, surprise in her voice. "Why?"

"Division sent her over. Don't worry. I'll call Chappelle. But right now, she's the only systems op we've got."

"I want to do it."

"You're doing two jobs as it is Michelle." he protested.

"No, I mean I want to monitor. She'll think s has something on you." she explained, obvious distain dripping from her voice.

"I don't want you in there." Tony disputed. Michelle would never forgive him for some of the thing he would need to do to break his ex.

"Please Tony. Please." she begged.

"Okay. Let's go."


	10. Chapter 10

"You ready?" he asked Michelle, placing a bug in his ear. Michelle took a deep breath and nodded. "Hey," he began. She looked up at him nervously. "I'm sorry, but anything that happens in there," he gestured to the window. "You're all I want." She gave him a reassuring smile.

"Do whatever you have to; we need this information." she replied in a professional voice.

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Yeah." With that Tony punched in the code and walked into the interrogation room. "Nina, just tell me who connected Syed Ali to Peter Kingsley. Just tell me and you'll be free." Tony started off a little softer than last time. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them they were focused on him.

"I don't know." she spoke sternly. "I never met Ali, and I don't know who Peter Kingsley is." she lied. He walked over to the table and sat on the corner, looking straight into her eyes.

"I don't believe you." he whispered.

"Really?" she questioned, leaning in to him. "Do you need convincing?" With that Tony leaned in and kissed her hard on the lips; it disgusted him, to say the least, and it bothered him even more knowing that Michelle was sitting in the next room. He hoped she was looking away as he grabbed the back of Nina's head, pulling her to him.

But she wasn't. Michelle wanted to scream, cry, look away but all she could do was watch the man she had quickly fallen in love with kissing not only another woman, but a traitor and his ex-girlfriend. She didn't know which was worse, Tony kissing Nina, or the fact that she was watching them.

Tony pulled away and Nina took a deep breath. He had caught her off guard, and that was saying something. She met his eyes again she had always seen him as a convenience and he was going to be a convenience yet again.

"Nina… I don't want Jack coming in to interrogate you. Please, just tell me who connected them." he begged, his hand still resting on her neck.

"Fine. I'll tell you. But you need to do something for me first." she extorted.

"What?" he asked her, his face still close to hers.

"Turn the security cameras off in this room and give me one free hand. You won't regret it." she whispered seductively.

"And then you'll tell me?" he checked, needing reassurance. She nodded. "I'll be right back." With that he stood and walked into the other room.

"Do you believe her?" Michelle asked as he came through the door.

"No. She's messing with me."

"What do we do?"

"I don't know." Tony sighed. "I'm not sure."

An hour later, Tony marched into the interrogation room. Nina's hands were lifeless on the table, her head barely held up. But her eyes were alive, and they followed him around like a lioness waiting for the right moment to jump on its prey.

"I almost believed you, Tony." she whispered exasperatedly. "I almost thought you missed me. You've become a much better liar."

"You're being deported, to Africa. They'll brief you at Federal. You'll be sent out from there." he replied coldly, slapping a file on the table and turning to leave.

"It was good seeing you again, Tony." she called. He continued out the door without looking back. As he entered the observation room, he made eye contact with Michelle.

"Good job." she whispered. "You broke her."

"Yeah. Matt, get her out of here." he ordered a techie.

"Great job, Tony!" Matt congratulated. "A woman will tell you anything once you make her come." Tony winced and Michelle quickly looked away.

"I need to send the transcript to Division." she whispered, quickly standing and exiting the room. Tony leaned against the desk and breathed deeply. He had done what he needed to do, but at what expense? Michelle, the woman he loved so deeply, had watched him touch his ex. She watched him coax information out of a traitor by fondling her and groping her. He turned around quickly to follow his girlfriend.

"Michelle!" he called, running down the hall towards her. She turned around and waited for him to catch up. Her eyes questioned him, staring at him inquisitively. "Michelle, I'm sorry." he spoke softly, so as not to give anything away to anyone. "I wish you hadn't been watching, but I needed to …"

"I know, Tony. It was just a shock. I'm fine." she interrupted, her voice void of emotion. At that she turned and left.

"Chappelle's going to find out." the snaky voice began. Tony flipped around.

"What can I do for you, Carrie?" he asked. She slipped over to him.

"I know all about you and Michelle. You won't be able to keep it a secret." she teased.

"Michelle's a friend, someone I care about. What would you know of it?" he lied, walking around her, back to the observation room.

"'I love you?'" Tony stopped dead in his tracks.

"The phone." he whispered. He felt Carrie's smile although he couldn't see her. She turned and walked away.

She had them right where she wanted.


	11. Chapter 11

"Dessler." she answered quietly.

"Hey. Look, don't say anything, and don't turn around." he began, staring down at her. "I know that you understand that I did what I did because we needed the information. I know that you understand that we wouldn't have been able to break her. But I also know that you don't understand how terrible I felt about it, and how the last thing in the world I wanted to do was… mess around, for lack of a better term, with the woman whom I thought I loved."

"Tony…" she interrupted.

"Wait. Let me finish." he stopped her. "I know that you've been hurt, Michelle. You've been hurt terribly, and I just hurt you again. But that hurt me too. I had to touch the woman who hurt me the most. And I had to have the woman I love sitting in the next room watching. I understand that you're upset, but I need you to understand that I'm upset too."

"Tony…" she broke in again. "I just wanted to say, that I'm sorry I was heartless. And I understand. It's just fresh in my mind. I understand that she hurt you, and we can talk about it if you want to later. I know I seemed like I didn't understand and that I was upset. It must have seemed like I didn't care. But I…I love you." she whispered, so as not to be heard.

"I love you. Thanks for listening. Listen, um… we might not stay a secret for long." he admitted.

"Why not?" she asked.

"Carrie heard us, my phone, when it was off the hook, she was listening." he confessed.

"Oh my God. She did see us yesterday, but…"

"Look, don't worry. I'll take care of it. Just, don't provoke her. I'm going to talk to Chappelle tomorrow, but until then, try to stay out of her way." he requested.

"Yes, sir." she mocked at him serious tone. Tony chuckled and hung up; still staring down at the woman he had been speaking to. Just then, Carrie walked up to Michelle's station.

"How's Tony?" Carrie asked Michelle smugly. Michelle rubbed her forehead and spun around in her chair.

"I don't know. Why don't you ask him?" she answered disdainfully.

"I know about you and Tony, and I think you should be careful." she suggested.

"Are you threatening me?" Michelle retorted.

Tony had been watching and had begun to descend the stairs. He approached the women and stopped when he reached the desk.

"What's happening here?" he asked, glaring angrily at Carrie.

"We all know what a big secret the two of you are keeping from the rest of the office. I saw you kissing yesterday and I heard you in the office this morning. You really should be more careful." she warned.

"I'll keep that in mind." Tony replied sarcastically. "Get back to work Carrie. Whatever's going on between Michelle and I or either of us and anyone in this office is none of your damn business. Now stop harassing Michelle, or I'll fire you myself."

"Wow Michelle, you need your boyfriend to stick up for you?" she asked, still staring at Tony.

"No. Her "boyfriend" isn't doing anything. I'm her boss, and yours, and you're interfering with her work. Now you can do your job and leave her alone, or you can resign." he threatened. She smirked and turned back to her station.

"Thanks." Michelle stated discretely. They watched Carrie march back to her station and sit in her chair. "She'll go straight to Vaughn if it means I'll lose my job."

"You won't lose your job. I've already got you buried in a ton of work, there's no way that they're gonna fire you. There'd be no one to replace you, and then where would we be?" he joked.

"Oh, thanks." she retorted. "Good to know I'm irreplaceable."

Tony smiled. "You know you are." he whispered. "Two hours to go. Think you can make it?"

"I suppose."

An hour and a half later and Michelle had been completely unable to focus on what she was doing. She had gotten a big chunk of her work done, but she really hadn't been paying attention. Her phone ringing was a welcome distraction.

"Michelle Dessler," she answered.

"Miss Dessler, this is Avon calling." a voice replied. She stifled a laugh and smiled.

"Hey you."

"Hey yourself. Any big plans tonight?" he asked. She turned around subtly in her seat to see him spinning fifty degrees to the left and right in his own chair. His eyes were focused on her.

"Hmmm, I WAS gonna find a really hot guy and go out for a wild one night stand, but…" she raised her eyebrows and smirked. "What'd you have in mind?"

"How about that date we talked about?" he suggested.

"Mmmm, I'd settle for a bubble bath and a snuggle. I'm exhausted. We really haven't caught up on sleep yet." she persuaded.

"That I can do. I've got a big tub." Michelle blushed and nodded. "Are you hungry?"

"Uh huh. I'll pick up some food on the way over. I want to throw some clothes into a bag -- just incase." she explained.

"Incase, huh?" he teased. She smiled again.

"I'll be there around seven. Is that okay?" she inquired.

"Perfect."


	12. Chapter 12

Michelle knocked on the door to Tony's apartment ten minutes before seven. He opened the door and smiled, removing the pizza from her hands and asking her to come in. She smiled and followed him into the kitchen.

"I noticed the ledge out on the front stairs, you could really imagine the stars without the ambient light from there." she joked. He smiled.

"Well, the moon's full tonight. Maybe we can cuddle up out there after dinner." he suggested.

"That sounds good to me. Now let's eat, I'm starving."

"Mmmm… hang on a minute." he stopped her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her softly. "I've wanted to do that all day."

"Good. I wasn't the only one." she replied.

They finished their dinner quickly and headed out to the front porch, Tony's arm snaked around Michelle's waist the entire time. They got to the front of the building and headed over to one of two parallel granite stoops on either side of the stairs. Over the outer edge was a small garden that looked very well maintained. Tony climbed up the two feet to the rail and helped Michelle up after him. She curled up between his legs and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Wow, the moon's really bright tonight." she commented, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Yeah. Look, there's a shooting star!" he pointed out, showing her where. Her eyes grew wide as she watched it fall. "Make a wish."

"Why?" she replied, turning her eyes away from the sky to his face. "I have everything I've ever wanted right here." Tony smiled and pulled her lips to his, kissing her gently and lovingly. She smiled against his mouth and buried her fingers in his hair.

"What in the hell's going on here Almeida?" Tony broke away from Michelle to see Chappelle standing directly in front of them. Michelle's face turned red and she jumped off of Tony onto the stairs, folding her arms from the cold. Tony looked over at her and then back at his boss.

"Ryan, what are you doing?" he snapped, standing so that he was at eye level with the other man.

"I could ask you the same thing Tony. You know better than to sleep with a co-worker. You of all people!" he shouted. Michelle shivered and closed her eyes. What would Chappelle think of her now?

"That was WAY out of line Ryan!" he shouted back. "First of all, we're not sleeping together, and second of all, even if we were, it's none of your damn business!"

"I should go." Michele whispered nervously, trying to hold back tears.

"No Michelle, baby, please stay." Tony begged her, holding out his hand and stroking her arm comfortingly. She gave a small smile and Tony turned his focus back to Chappelle.

"It is my business Tony. If you're screwing around with a employee you're abusing your position, and I'll have to take you out of play." Ryan explained. "As for you, Michelle, sleeping with the boss seems so below you. Maybe I was wrong to consider you for that promotion if this is how you plan on getting ahead."

At that Tony lunged forward as if to strike him, but when he felt Michelle's hand on his shoulder he stopped.

"I can defend myself Tony." she whispered. He turned and looked at her with concern in his eyes. She nodded and looked up at Ryan. "Carrie said that to you, didn't she?"

"This has nothing to do with Carrie." he retorted.

"She told you that I was sleeping with Tony so that he would promote me, didn't she?" she questioned calmly.

"She's the one who told me you two were having inappropriate contact, and now I find you making out on your front porch! I have all the proof I need to suspend both of you." he threatened.

"Ryan, Carrie's a bitch." Tony snapped bluntly. "We have been through hell in the last three days. We're both grieving and trying to understand what the hell happened. I'd personally prefer being close to someone who understands what I've been through and who I can help through this. Michelle means a lot to me, Ryan. I'd rather be here with her than with anyone else in the world, and if that means losing my job, fine." Michelle became teary at his confession.

"You're gonna sacrifice everything for a quickie with an employee?" Chappelle questioned, clearly fuming.

"I'm in love with her, and I intend on making this last. You're not going to ruin that for us Ryan. No one will ruin that for us." Tony grabbed Michelle's hand and led her back into the building.

"Fine!" Ryan yelled. "But if this interferes with your work, you're gone."

Tony slammed the door behind him, leaving his boss standing on the sidewalk, yelling at the wind.


	13. Chapter 13

Michelle turned around and stared at Tony as soon as they entered his apartment. He looked into her eyes and she turned around, walking to the couch and sitting down.

"Michelle? What is it?" he asked, walking over to her with concern in his step.

"Tony, I've never seen you that angry. It scared me." she explained, her arms still wrapped around her body defensively. "You seem to think I'm some weak creature who needs defending, but I know how to take care of myself. I had to do it before you, and I'll have to do it after you."

Tony froze. He hadn't thought of the possibility that Michelle would ever leave him. "After me?" he repeated.

"Yes, after you. After this ends, or when you aren't around to defend me or…" she continued with conviction. "Oh, don't look at me like that; we both know Chappelle was right."

"He was wrong Michelle; about everything. Don't reconcile yourself to the negative when it means compromising what you want. Is this what you want?" he asked, bending down in front of her.

"Yes. But…"

"This will work, if we let it. And we have to be sure that we don't let idiots like Chappelle convince us otherwise."

With that Tony leaned in and kissed her, leaving no room for argument. She kissed him back with the same passion. For now it didn't matter how long this would last. Tony ran his hands down Michelle's side as he helped her stand up off the couch. She threw her arms around his shoulders and held him closer to her. He pushed his tongue into hers and she moaned. This had to be the greatest feeling on earth. She pushed her lower body into his involuntarily and he growled. Tony pulled back for a moment and stared into her eyes.

"I'm ready." she whispered. That was all the assurance he needed. He lifted her up and carried her off to the bedroom to make love to her. It would be their first time, but they weren't nervous. They loved each other. For now, that was all that mattered.

He laid her down on the bed and stared down at her. She smiled up at him and began removing her clothes. Soon, all clothing was in a pile on the side of the room. Tony played with her and teased her, driving her insane. She cried his name and moaned for him, and he whispered to her and caressed her. And in that moment, as Tony began making love to her, looking deep into her eyes, they had the same thought. This was going to last. How could something this strong not last? They both had what they had needed for so long.

They had someone to turn to.

_Sigh! Big, cheesy ending. Let me know what you think, and that you all so much for reading, for the support and encouragement, and especially for the reviews. They mean so much! An ending to the first fiction I started. I feel like I should give a speech. Fine, I won't put you through that, but please, PLEASE review. For me? Thanks! Much love!_

_Anna_


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